Charles alexander gregory



O. A. GREGORY.

- PIGKING ROD.

(No Model.)

No. 552,244. Patented Dec. 31, 1895.

Qwi/Cmeooaa M. Pnmo-umo WASHING UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

I CHARLES ALEXANDER GREGORY, OF MONTREAL, CANADA, ASS IGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO DAVID B. TOIVSLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

PlCKlNG-ROD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,244, dated December31, 1895.

Serial No. 543,717. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES ALEXANDER GREGORY, of the city of Montreal,in the district of Montreal and Province of Quebec, Canada, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Picking-Rods; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

This invention relates to picking-rods or lifters used more particularlyin reaching for and lifting goods from shop-windows, Where they areusually more or less inaccessible and cannot readily be reached, and hasfor its object to produce an improved article of this type simple inconstruction and the parts of which will not be liable to wear and getout of order, as heretofore, and one which will be more convenient tohandle and effective in retaining the article gripped.

To such ends the invention consists, first, V.

in constructing the instrument of a main rod,

terminating at its forward end in a jaw or finger, and a short movablejaw or finger carried by the main rod and acting in conjunction with thefinger at the end thereof to grip the article, the movable finger beingactuated through lever-and-rod connections from the handle end of therod; secondly, in a locking device for holding the movable finger in itsgripping position, and, thirdly, in an extensible handle portion for therod. For full comprehension, however, of the invention, reference mustbe had to the annexed drawings, forming a part of this specification, inwhich like symbols indicate corresponding parts, and wherein Figure 1 isa side elevation of my improved picking-rod; Fig. 2, a plan view ofsame, and Fig. 3 a side elevation of a modified form thereof.

a is the main rod diminishing toward its forward end and terminating ina stationary jaw or finger b.

c is a short jaw or finger, preferably of the curved form shown, withits inner end pivotally connected at c to the rod a and its outergripping end terminating opposite that of the stationary finger b. Themovable finger c is held with its gripping end normally away from thatof the main finger, preferably by means of a V-spring d located betweenthe two near their point of connection, and such movable finger is movedtoward the stationary one, preferably by the rollowing means: A

- thumb-lever of bell-crank form, having a long arm 6 and short arm 6,is fulcrumed at f to the rod near its handle end, and from the short armthereof a wire connection g extends to one arm h of a second bell-cranklever fulcruined at 75 to the main rod also, and the other arm h ofwhich is preferably connected by a link m with the movable finger,although instead of the link connection such second arm 72/ might belengthened and bent across the outside face of the movable finger, so asto have merely a frictional bearing thereon, as shown at n in Fig. 3,but the link connection is preferable as requiring less force inoperation.

As a readymeans for locking the movable finger in its gripping positionI pivot a counterbalanced swinging detent to the rod near thethumb-lever so that one end 19 of such detent will engage in either ofseveral notches q in the surface of the arm 6 of the lever and so holdit in any position to which it may be depressed as long as the rod isheld in aproper position with the side thereof on which the thumb-leveris located uppermost, but which, upon the turning of such side under,will automatically free the thumb-lever, owing to the preponderatingweight of the opposite end 19 of the detent.

To provide for the use of the picking-rod as a holder for clusters andthe like requiring a somewhat longer handle, the rod proper may behollowed from its handle end forward, as at r, and an extension handlepiece or section 3 be located therein, which can be drawn outwardvarious distances and retained by any suitable device, such as thespring-detent z, with an end passing through an aperture in the rodproper and engaging either of the notches u in the extension-piece.

What I claim is as follows:

1.. A picking rod orlifter comprising a main solid rod terminating atits rear end in an integral handle portion and at its forward end in anintegral gripping finger,and a short movable gripping finger carried bythe main rod cated at the rear handle end of the main rod with a wirerod connection between for operating the short movable finger from suchrear handle end of the main rod.

3. A picking rod or lifter comprising a main solid rod terminating atits rear end in an integral handle portion and at its forward end in anintegral gripping finger, a short movable gripping finger carried by themain rod, a bell crank lever and rod connection for actuating themovable finger from the rear handle end of the rod and means for lockingsuch movable finger in its gripping position.

i. A picking rod or lifter comprising a main solid rod terminating atits rear end in an integral handle portion and at its forward end in anintegral gripping finger, a short movable gripping finger pivoted to themain rod, a spring for keeping such movable finger normally out ofcontact with the main rod and a bell crank lever located at the forwardend of the main rod having one arm overlapping and bearing upon theouter surface of the short movable finger, and a second bell crank leverlocated at the rear handle end of the main rod with a wire rodconnection between for operating the short movable finger from such rearhandle end of the main rod for the purpose set forth.

5. A picking rod or lifter comprising a main solid rod terminating atits rear end in an integral handle portion and at its forward end in anintegral gripping finger, a short movable gripping finger pivoted to themain rod,

a spring for keeping such movable finger normally out of contact withthe main rod, a bell crank lever and rod connection for operating suchshort movable finger from the rear handle end of the rod, and anautomatically operated swinging detent for locking such movable fingerin its gripping position for the purpose set forth.

6. A picking rod or lifter comprising a main rod terminating at itsforward end in a gripping finger, a short movable gripping fingerpivoted to the main rod, a spring for keeping such movable fingernormally out of contact with the main rod, a pair of bell crank leversand a rod connection between them for opcrating such short movablefinger from the rear handle end of the rod and a counterbalancedswinging detent having one end weighted and its other end adapted toe11- gage the bell crank lever nearest the handle and lock said movablefinger in its gripping position for the purpose set forth.

7. A picking rod or lifter comprising a main rod terminating at itsforward end in a gripping finger, a short movable gripping fingerpivoted to the main rod, a spring for keeping such movable fingernormally out of contact with the main rod, a bell crank lever fulcrumedto the stationary finger, a second bell. crank lever fulcrumed on themain rod near the handle thereof, the first bell-crank lever having onearm adapted to operate such movable finger and its other arm connectedwith one arm of said second bell crank lever, the second bell cranklever having its other arm notched and a counterbalanced swinging detenthaving one end weighted and its other arm adapted to engage with thenotches in the arm of said second bell crank lever for the purpose setforth.

Montreal, March 26, 1895.

CHARLES ALEXANDER GREGOl-IY.

